Ohio River at Ashland water level

Name: Ohio River at Ashland water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Ohio River, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

34.80ft Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 07:00 PM EDT (15 min ago)

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 34.10 ft by Friday, October 23 at 08:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:04 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Ohio River at Ashland is at 34.80 ft, in the normal range.

It is 17.20 ft below the flood stage of 52.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.09 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 34.10 ft by Friday, October 23 at 08:00 PM. In the last month it has stayed between 34.63 ft and 35.11 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 74.21 ftJanuary 27, 1937
Lowest on record: 1.40 ftOctober 27, 1922
Forecast peak: 34.80 ftMonday, October 19 at 02:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Ohio River at Ashland

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 52.00 ft, 17.20 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

66.50 ft: CSX Railroad closed in east end of Ashland near Catlettsburg KY.
65.80 ft: River overtops the low point of the bank at the foot of Houston Street in Russell and flows overland to Ganners Branch.
65.50 ft: US Routes 23 and 60 floods in the east end of Ashland. US Route 23 one quarter of a mile west of Ashland floods.
64.50 ft: CSX Railroad closed in Russell.
63.00 ft: US Route 60 floods in Catlettsburg.
60.00 ft: The flood gate at Oakland Avenue in Catlettsburg is closed.
56.60 ft: General flooding of areas around Ashland outside of the flood wall.
56.00 ft: The flood gate in Catlettsburg at 26th and Front Street is closed.
55.50 ft: KY Route 3 floods in Catlettsburg.
52.00 ft: Minor flooding of roads in low lying areas begin to flood due to backwater from creeks.
50.00 ft: Catlettsburg flood gate at 15th and Center Street is closed.
34.80 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 10 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	74.21 ft	January 27, 1937
2	70.60 ft	March 31, 1913
3	69.30 ft	February 12, 1888
4	65.90 ft	April 17, 1948
5	64.45 ft	March 9, 1945
6	64.00 ft	January 2, 1943
7	63.83 ft	March 8, 1955
8	63.30 ft	March 23, 1936
9	62.10 ft	March 21, 1933
10	61.20 ft	February 5, 1939

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 69° 38° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 71° 40° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 70° 42° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 69° 45° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 69° 43° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 71° 46° – Wind 6 mph

25 Sun 72° 44° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:44 AM Sunset 06:48 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 63%

Map

Other gauges on the Ohio River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Ohio River at Hannibal Lock and Dam (Upper)River gauge, Ohio River	13.32 ft	No reference yet	+0.20 ft	126 mi
Ohio River at Hannibal Lock and Dam (Lower)River gauge, Ohio River	13.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.89 ft	126 mi
Ohio River above SardisRiver gauge, Ohio River	76.9 cfs	Very low	−39,523.1 cfs	124 mi
Ohio River at MariettaRiver gauge, Ohio River	16.47 ft	Below flood stage	−0.40 ft	90 mi
Ohio River at ParkersburgRiver gauge, Ohio River	21.72 ft	High	+0.03 ft	79 mi
Ohio River at Point PleasantRiver gauge, Ohio River	24.91 ft	Low	+0.31 ft	37 mi
Ohio River at HuntingtonRiver gauge, Ohio River	26.63 ft	Normal	−0.46 ft	9 mi
Ohio River at IrontonRiver gauge, Ohio River	34.55 ft	High	−0.14 ft	4.1 mi
Ohio River at Greenup Dam near GreenupRiver gauge, Ohio River	17.87 ft	Below flood stage	+4.88 ft	16 mi
Ohio River at PortsmouthRiver gauge, Ohio River	18.41 ft	High	−1.99 ft	26 mi
Ohio River at MaysvilleRiver gauge, Ohio River	34.15 ft	Normal	−0.41 ft	63 mi
Ohio River at CincinnatiRiver gauge, Ohio River	28.21 ft	High	−0.24 ft	109 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Symmes Creek at Aid OHRiver gauge, Symmes Creek	5.92 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	11 mi
Twelvepole Creek at LavaletteRiver gauge, Twelvepole Creek	4.32 ft	Below flood stage	−0.27 ft	15 mi
Tygarts Creek near GreenupRiver gauge, Tygarts Creek	2.68 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	18 mi
Little Sandy River at GraysonRiver gauge, Little Sandy River	4.31 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	19 mi
Twelvepole Creek below WayneRiver gauge, Twelvepole Creek	5.09 ft	High	−0.25 ft	20 mi
Big Sandy River at LouisaRiver gauge, Big Sandy River	4.72 ft	Below flood stage	−0.51 ft	22 mi
Little Sandy River below Grayson Dam near LeonRiver gauge, Little Sandy River	42.8 cfs	Normal	−0.6 cfs	25 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Ohio River at Ashland?

The official flood stage is 52.00 ft. The level is currently 17.20 ft below it.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Ohio River at Ashland today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 07:00 PM EDT, the water level was 34.80 ft. Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Ohio River at Ashland rising or falling?

Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Ohio River at Ashland normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Ohio River at Ashland?

The highest level on record is 74.21 ft on January 27, 1937. The lowest is 1.40 ft on October 27, 1922.

Is Ohio River at Ashland expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 34.10 ft by Friday, October 23 at 08:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03216000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.48403, -82.64155 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	34.80 ft	2026-10-19 23:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Ohio River at Ashland (usgs:03216000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/ohio-river-at-ashland

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer